Dramatic Kidnapping Attempt Caught on Camera Will Give You the Chills

Thanks to a surveillance camera in a California cell phone store, a recent attempted kidnapping has been caught on camera.

The attempted abduction took place at Macias Cellular & Computers in Victorville, California, on Friday. If you watch the surveillance footage in the video below from WPVI-TV, you'll see a 4-year-old girl standing in the shop with her mother, who is also holding a baby. Suddenly, an arm reaches into the store and snatches the toddler. The mother and another customer go running out the door after the kidnapper.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

San Bernadino County police say the abductor quickly lost grip of the girl as she tried to pull away, according to a report by KABC-TV. In the video, you'll see the mother and her two children return to the store, with the toddler crying and holding on tightly to her mother.

NBC4 News reports that the other customer and the store owner's husband were able to chase down the suspect, 24-year-old Terry Ransom, and hold him there until officials arrived. Ransom, who the police believe was on drugs at the time of the incident, was arrested.

Most Popular

The footage captured by the surveillance is downright terrifying, but we're really just so glad the 4-year-old is safe: Police say the toddler was shaken, but she didn't suffer any injuries, KABC-TV reports.

This is the second attempted kidnapping caught on camera that has made headlines within a month. The first happened in June, when a man tried to abduct a 13-year-old girl at a Dollar General Store in Florida. Luckily, her mother was able to grab her just in time.